Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

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In this episode of the HCH Mortgage Podcast, host James Varley chats with Samantha Turmaine from HCH Financial Services about why property investors are heading north.

James and Sam also discuss interest rates, inflation, and EPCs – with news that holiday let properties look set to be mandated to achieve minimum standards of energy efficiency in a similar way to long-term rentals.

Subscribe for more expert advice on mortgages, short-term rentals, and property investment. 

2:10 Northern powerhouse
4:26 Interest rates and inflation
5:26 Some mortgage rates are up; some are down!
6:54 Lock in the best rate as early as possible
7:30 EPCs
9:32 Going from E to C by 2030
11:30 The best rates on the market
12:57 Thank you, Sam!

Links: 

Register for Your Air Success (free event for short-term rental hosts, property managers, and industry professionals) on Friday 4 April in London: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/yourairsuccess

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Call: 0333 1234 536

Email: [email protected]

Samantha Turmaine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-turmaine-mlibf-cemap-cerer-97a1b298/

PASC UK: https://www.pascuk.co.uk/

ASSC: https://www.assc.co.uk/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/
James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Free downloads:

The Ultimate Guide to Short-Term Rentals: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/2024-e-book

Guest Communication 101 for Direct Bookings: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/hospitable

Direct Booking Checklist: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/hospitable

How to Navigate London’s 90-Day Short-Term Rentals Limit: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/your-airhost

Contact the show: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

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Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully!

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Eli Pritykin, Founder of Hudson Creative Studio, sharing the top features every direct booking website needs in order to build trust and attract guests.

1:45 Feature No. 1: communicate trust by getting your hero section right
5:03 Feature No. 2: guest reviews
9:16 Feature No. 3: selling the experience
11:26 Feature No. 4: professional photos are key
14:12 Feature No. 5: clarity in pricing and policies
18:10 Hudson Creative Studio: https://hudsoncreativestudio.com/

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today (your first guidebook is free!). Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Eli Pritykin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritykin/

Hudson Creative Studio: https://hudsoncreativestudio.com/

Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Get in touch: 

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share! Your support helps us bring more industry experts like Eli to the show.

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Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode six, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses training and tracking your cleaning team.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

1:19 Training and tracking
3:38 Checklists 
7:18 The recruitment process
11:02 Holiday rental cleaning vs domestic cleaning
12:09 Due diligence 
13:50 Training 
18:34 The importance of tracking
21:00 The tech holds staff accountable

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

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Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode five, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines the cleaning essentials every Airbnb host needs.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

0:56 Essential cleaning supplies
2:23 Fairy Liquid, bleach, and white vinegar are pretty much all you need!
3:05 Dishwasher tablets are fantastic
3:35 The power of laundry pods 
4:19 What needs to be left for guests
5:58 Bathroom bins
6:47 Essential cleaning equipment
9:37 Showers 
10:46 Air fresheners and ventilation

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

Send us a text

Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode four, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should not allow pets at your holiday rental and discusses how to clean popular amenities such as hot tubs.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

1:07 Should hosts allow pets?
2:25 Increased wear and tear 
3:23 Tips for dealing with pets at holiday lets
5:10 Tips for dealing with dog hair
7:14 Dealing with scratches 
9:12 How to deal with a doggy smell
11:18 Hot tubs
15:14 How long it takes to clean a hot tub
18:18 Cleaning kitchen amenities 
21:40 Steph’s oven nightmare, involving bacon!

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

Send us a text

Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode three, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, outlines why you should never charge a cleaning fee to your guests.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

1:19 Should you charge a cleaning fee or not?
3:29 The pros and cons of charging a cleaning fee
4:39 Steph says: understand your numbers! 
6:21 Airbnb might get rid of the cleaning fee
7:36 What if an owner wants to offer one-night stays?
9:35 The challenges of managing one-night stays
11:46 Nobody should charge a cleaning fee! 

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

Send us a text

Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode two, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, discusses whether short-term rental owners should employ a freelance cleaner or a cleaning company.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

1:10 Freelancer or company?
2:18 Benefits of working with a cleaning company
4:29 The challenges freelancers face
6:42 The gap between sole trader and business cleaning charges is closing
8:17 A company should deliver a higher standard of cleaning
11:23 A hybrid model can offer the best of both worlds

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

Send us a text

Spotless Stays is a six-part podcast series about short-term rental cleaning and maintenance produced by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Rural Stays.

During episode one, Rural Stays Founder, Stephanie Flint, sets the scene for the series, shares her journey in the industry, and outlines the pros and cons of cleaning your own rental.

The show is presented by Holiday Cottage Handbook Founder and CEO, James Varley.

1:11 Stephanie's journey and the story of Rural Stays
5:49 Clean yourself or outsource?
8:27 Time-consuming and physical 
10:16 Implementing systems and processes from day one to scale
12:38 Take the emotion out of the business 

Links:

Stephanie Flint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-flint-23170351/

Rural Stays: https://www.ruralcleansyorkshireltd.com/

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Contact Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

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In this episode of the HCH Podcast, we sit down with industry expert Deborah Labi to explore her journey in the short-term rentals world and the many ways she’s helping hosts and property managers elevate their businesses. We learn about Have You Got, The Guest Innspector, the Techsplained series, and The Green Path Podcast. 

Plus, Deborah shares why adopting a direct booking mindset from day one is crucial, how AI is transforming hospitality, and why using video for guest communication is a game-changer.  Don't miss this action-packed episode – listen now! 

2:18 Deborah's journey
3:52 Have You Got
5:05 The Guest Innspector
6:37 The Techsplained Series
7:34 The Green Path Podcast
9:07 A direct booking mindset from day one
12:58 Meet your guest or create a check-in video
14:08 Have You Got in depth
18:21 It’s free to list your properties on Have You Got
20:04 Find out more and sign up: https://www.thehaveyougot.network/
21:27 Rentals all over the world
23:36 The common problems Deborah finds as The Guest Innspector
27:46 The Guest Innspector report 
28:33 The Techsplained Series in depth 
30:58 Promoting sustainability in the industry
33:04 Use AI – or get left behind
34:05 Find out more about AI by listening to Techsplained
35:03 Utilise video to deliver a great guest experience
37:31 Favourite brands: Rory Sutherland and The Diary of a CEO
39:16 Individual shout-out: Daniela Derin
39:52 No. 1 lesson learned: it’s hard to get money out of property managers!

Links:

Deborah Labi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-l-a7566a2b/

Have You Got: https://www.haveyougot.com/

The Techsplained Series: https://thetechsplainedseries.com/

The Guest Innspector: https://www.theguestinnspector.com/

The Green Path Podcast: https://thegreenpathpodcast.com/

Mentions:

Rory Sutherland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland/

The Diary of a CEO: https://www.youtube.com/TheDiaryOfACEO

Daniela Derin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-derin/

Sponsor mentions:

Your AirHost: https://www.yourairhost.co.uk/

Book a free 15-minute consultation with Zeal Tax to discuss capital allowances: https://calendly.com/hch-zeal

Key Data: https://www.keydatadashboard.com/products/prodata?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=holiday_cottage_handbook

HCH Financial Services: https://www.hchfs.com/

Holiday Cottage Handbook:

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Free downloads:

The Ultimate Guide to Short-Term Rentals: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/e-book

Guest Communication 101 for Direct Bookings: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/hospitable

Direct Booking Checklist: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/hospitable

How to Navigate London's 90-Day Short-Term Rentals Limit: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/your-airhost

Enjoy the show? Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Contact the show: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

Send us a text

Welcome to HCH Bitesize, the podcast series brought to you by Holiday Cottage Handbook and Hostfully!

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to welcome Steven Core, Head of Business Development at VoltShare, sharing five reasons why installing an EV charger can supercharge both the guest experience and revenue at your short-term rental.

1:40 Reason No. 1: increased visibility 
2:49 Reason No. 2: increase revenue 
3:53 Reason No. 3: increase guest satisfaction
6:14 Reason No. 4: more sustainable
7:27 Reason No. 5: take advantage of government funding (available until March 2025)
8:14 Cost of instalment with VoltShare: about £1,200 (down to £850 with the government funding)
9:13 Anyone can use the charger – you can advertise it on public charging maps
9:44 Some owners offered free EV charging in the past
10:55 Inquire about installing an EV charger with VoltShare: https://voltshare.typeform.com/hchandbook?utm_source=hchweb&typeform-source=www.holidaycottagehandbook.com

Are you looking to streamline your operations and amaze your guests? Look no further than Hostfully! Try their top-rated property management software and award-winning digital guidebooks today (your first guidebook is free!). Join the thousands of satisfied property managers who trust Hostfully to grow their business: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

Holiday Cottage Handbook: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/

Hostfully: https://get.hostfully.com/46p7pafubra1

James Varley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdsvarley/

Steven Core: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-core-508295110/

Inquire about installing an EV charger with VoltShare: https://voltshare.typeform.com/hchandbook?utm_source=hchweb&typeform-source=www.holidaycottagehandbook.com

Got a comment or interested in being a guest on the show? Get in touch: https://www.holidaycottagehandbook.com/contact

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share! Your support helps us bring more industry experts like Steven to the show.